What Seán spoke about.

20

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Commission implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1614 of 15 September 2022 determining the existing deep-sea fishing areas and establishing a list of areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known to occur or are likely to occur (debate)

Thank you very much for the question. As we pointed out, and my colleagues as well, we want to have sustainable fishing. We want to protect the marine areas. But it must be done, first of all, on up—to—date data. That is not the position as of now. Secondly, if you ban fishing from these waters by Irish and other fishers from the European Union, there’s going to be a shortage of food, as my colleague Mr Millán Mon pointed out, and therefore we are going to be importing it from other countries who do not have the same standards, who do not have the same sustainability and who are actually taking fish from our waters. So we have to protect our own group first and we must consult with those who are most involved, and that’s the fishers. And if they are happy with it, then we move ahead, because if it is in their interest, as you are pointing out, then why would they be going against it?

20

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Commission implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1614 of 15 September 2022 determining the existing deep-sea fishing areas and establishing a list of areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known to occur or are likely to occur (debate)

A Uachtaráin, the EU has the world’s largest maritime area, with a coastline approximately 68 000 kilometres long. Ireland, a small island on the edge of Europe, has one of the largest sea-to-land ratios of any EU Member State. With the ocean an ever-present feature of Irish life, we hold huge value and huge respect for the sea around our island. It is a source of beauty, activity and economy for our coastal communities. Given the importance of the sea to our livelihood, we must protect our vulnerable marine ecosystems. Deep-sea ecosystems are unique hotspots for marine biodiversity, in particular because species in deep-sea areas are uniquely vulnerable to overfishing. Their long lifespans means a significant time is needed to replenish their stock. In this regard, the sustainable conservation of vulnerable marine ecosystems is essential. However, ‘sustainability’ is the operative word here, and for this reason, I welcome the opportunity to consider the social and economic consequences of the Commission’s Implementing Regulation. While conservation efforts are essential, so too is the need to protect the fair living standards of Ireland’s fishing communities. We must ensure that our conservation efforts are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. When implementing this regulation, I call on the Commission to have due regard for the unique circumstances of coastal communities and the fishing industry. Adequate consultation with fishing communities and the use of the most recent data is essential when classifying areas as vulnerable marine ecosystems. A socio-economic assessment should be factored into any Commission decision before drastic measures are taken. As an example, I would like to highlight that Irish fishermen suffered considerably post—Brexit, losing access to UK ports and waters. As we move forward with marine conservation efforts, it is important that we are mindful of the broader economic context in which these decisions are taken. I call on the Commission to consider this in their implementation activities.

20

Oct

2022

Speeches GA

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Cultural solidarity with Ukraine and a joint emergency response mechanism for cultural recovery in Europe (debate)

Mr President, culture plays a special role in the harmony of our global society. It is important to bring people together. Culture can create a connection between different people from different tribes regardless of the differences between them. As we have seen with the European Union, we can overcome cultural differences and connect with people from different cultures in a meaningful way. Putin's war has caused a lot of disaster for Ukraine. As we know, many lives have been lost as a result of the war, but that is not enough for ugly Putin. On top of that, it aims to destroy Ukrainian identity and culture. It won't stop until it loses everything. Russia is destroying Ukraine’s heritage culture and cultural property as part of its strategic method to end Ukraine’s independence. I welcome the Commission’s efforts to support artists and cultural professionals fleeing the war. I also acknowledge the Commission’s cultural support in the Member States. Cultural associations in the Member States are doing excellent work to ensure the integration of Ukrainian refugees into our community. By sharing culture, I hope that we will be able to welcome the Ukrainian people who are escaping the violent. With this in mind, I hope that they will join us. We need to support local and regional cultural societies. As a result, we need to invest in these associations on a foundational basis so that we can see the benefits.

19

Oct

2022

Speeches GA

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Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2021 (debate)

Mr. President, first of all, warmly welcome my friend Tony Murphy, who took up his duties as the new Court of Auditors President earlier this month. I'm very happy with you today, Tony. I look forward to your presidency. The 2021 annual report covers an enormous amount of work and topics. This year, for the first time, the ECA covered the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main component of the EU’s 800 billion Next Generation EU package. The auditors have also outlined the key findings regarding revenue and the many areas of spending under the EU budget and the European Development Fund. One of the main purposes of the ECA is to highlight shortcomings in the management of EU funds. Last year was an extraordinary case, where the EU took bold action in relation to common financing mechanisms. The work of the ECA ensures that risks and challenges for the EU's finances are managed effectively. It is vital for the functioning of the EU to have a full view of risks in relation to EU funds. Good luck to you, Tony, and your colleagues.

18

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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UN Climate Change Conference 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt (COP27) (debate)

Mr President, A Uachtaráin. These are special times from a climate and energy perspective. The decisions to be taken at COP27 will shape climate and energy policies and have an impact on all of us. With worrying peaks of energy poverty affecting vulnerable families, small businesses and local authorities all over the EU, we must act urgently. Making our energy system independent of Russian fossil fuels and fossil fuels in general is the big challenge. An acceleration of what is the most important legislation in the current mandate, the Fit for 55 package, is top priority. It is vital that Fit for 55 is adopted as a unit in order to show the strong leadership and commitment of the EU and its Member States to ambitiously contribute to closing the gap necessary to limit global warming. I am happy to be travelling to Egypt as part of the ITRE delegation. We need to act urgently and move from commitments to results. We need to act now.

18

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Keep the bills down: social and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and the introduction of a windfall tax (debate)

Mr President, Putin’s armed forces have underwhelmed. But he retains a strong grip on energy supply, for now. He will try to weaponise the winter to weaken resolve and support for Ukraine. The EU and Member States must introduce a range of measures and supports to help households and businesses and protect citizens from the worsening energy price hikes. Immediate actions of the energy crisis should not be at the detriment of the future needs of our energy system. Yet the market should be for the benefit of society, not siphon the life from it. It is only right to apply a windfall charge to actually give that money back to citizens. To reduce energy bills for consumers in the longer term, the answer is clear: embrace the energy efficiency principle and get renovating the built environment. But for now, the windfall profits being made by producers and, above all, by traders of the energy system must be subjected to storm force taxes. These astronomical and immoral profits must be taxed as soon as possible.

6

Oct

2022

Speeches GA

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COVID-19 – Sustaining EU preparedness and response: looking ahead (debate)

Mr President, I do not know if there is an interpretation in Irish for this session or not, therefore, in case I do not, I will ask the Commission my question in English at the end. Clearly, the pandemic has shown us that it is much better to cooperate at European level than to have each country go their own way and it is good that we see this collaboration at the beginning of the pandemic, both in terms of taking a stance against Putin and his illegal war in Ukraine. Also, while Joe Biden said, COVID-19 is over, it is not over, and it is important that we urge our citizens to be vigilant, especially when winter is coming, as COVID is much worse in winter than in summer. And now my question. MEP Trillet—Lenoir said we need an international treaty on pandemics. I would like to ask the Commission, do they believe in that and, if so, what progress is being made to ensure that comes about?

5

Oct

2022

Speeches GA

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The situation of human rights in Haiti in particular related to gang violence

Mr President, current affairs in Haiti have completely disappeared from control and order. Parents don't want to send their children to school. There is a shortage of energy and clean water. In addition to the bad, hospitals, banks and shops are struggling to keep their doors open. Political instability has worsened since the assassination of President Haiti last year. In addition, inflation of almost 30% has exacerbated the problem. About 40% of Port-au-Prince are in charge of crime gangs and are killing hundreds of Haiti and the police are unable to control the gangs. I appeal to the Haitian authority to exercise attentive oversight over an honest and fair election. They need to ensure democratic integrity and put an end to this chaotic policy.

5

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Humanitarian situation after the devastating floods in Pakistan and the climate crisis (debate)

A Uachtaráin, the climate crisis is increasingly affecting the lives of millions of people across the world. This year, Pakistan endured extreme weather conditions: from its heat wave in March and April, to the devastating floods in June. Pakistan was one of the country’s worst affected by climate change in the first years of this century. This climate-induced crisis has come on top of an ongoing political and economic crisis. After the heaviest monsoons in over a century, 1 600 people lost their lives and approximately 13 000 people were injured, in addition to the millions of homes lost. The floods have also had a devastating effect on Pakistan’s agriculture, which plays a central role in the country’s economy. It is essential that the EU stand with the people of Pakistan, a country with which we have strong bilateral relations for over 60 years. I welcome the funding and supports that have been provided already. Europe has offered humanitarian funding, provided medical aid and exported essential equipment, such as water pumps and hygiene kits. I would like to make a broader point. In Europe our primary focus is on the unjust war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis, which poses immediate and acute dangers. Climate change, on the other hand, has not gone away. It poses an existential problem for the human race, and the effects are plain to see.

5

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Outcome of the Commission’s review of the 15-point action plan on trade and sustainable development (debate)

A Uachtaráin, the war in Ukraine and the COVID—19 pandemic have caused huge disruptions to global supply chains, exposed European vulnerabilities, and shown that, now more than ever, the EU needs to diversify our trading routes and develop new partners. However, diversification should not come at the expense of other EU policy goals that ensure that producers and trading countries abide by environmental and labour standards similar to those standards, that producers within the EU follow progressive labour and social rights globally, and that protect the commercial activity of businesses within the EU. As the world’s largest trading bloc, we are in a position to use our trade policy to engage partners on important issues. For this reason, I welcome the Commission’s additional sanctions, using its trade toolbox for enforcing labour, environmental and human rights standards. It is essential that these sanctions are used in a responsible way, namely only as a measure of last resort. Sustainability objectives should not undermine the negotiability of our trade agreements. It would be an own goal for the Commission to impose sanctions haphazardly. Doing so would undermine the negotiability of our trade agreements and indeed drive away prospective trading partners. The Commission’s proposal, I think, strikes this delicate balance between negotiability and ambition.

5

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Countering the anti-European and anti-Ukrainian propaganda of Putin’s European cronies (topical debate)

A Uachtaráin, we’ve entered a new phase in the unnecessary and callous war waged by Vladimir Putin. His shambolic and illegal referendums have served as a fickle means for Russia to try to absorb thousands of square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in what will be the largest forced annexation of land in Europe since 1945. Like the heinous war crimes that are part of Russian standard military tactics, disinformation has now become a fundamental element of Russia’s international relations. Last week, within hours of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, disinformation, fitting the pattern of Russian information warfare was immediately circulated on social media platforms. This is a very sophisticated and covert operation, which at this stage is a well—oiled machine that has proven to be effective in many circumstances. It’s amplified to social media algorithms. The aim is to flood social media with false information, to blur the lines of fact and deter public opinion from supporting Ukraine, depicting it as a failed, corrupt, Nazi state. Disinformation has been so effective that many so-called ‘free thinkers’ have been reduced to unwitting Kremlin spokespersons. It is time to strongly counter this disinformation in the EU.

4

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Radio Equipment Directive: common charger for electronic devices (A9-0129/2022 - Alex Agius Saliba)

Madam President, uimhir 3, I think we were all very happy to support this report and to see it being approved by an overwhelming majority because it establishes a single charging portal for mobile phones, tablets and other portable electronics in the EU. Not before time. The aim of this proposal is to improve consumer welfare and reduce the environmental footprint that comes from the manufacture and disposal of chargers and is part of a broader effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, reduce e-waste and make consumers’ lives easier. Beyond saving consumers money, there is also an environmental benefit. While electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste in the EU, less than 40% is recycled. This law aims to reduce the volume of such waste. So now, people all over Europe, including myself, can go to our boxes and drawers, which are full of all sorts of chargers, which we will never again need to use and dispose of them properly.

4

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Striving for a sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture: the way forward (A9-0215/2022 - Clara Aguilera)

A Uachtaráin, I was pleased also to vote in favour of this report. It aims to build resilience and competitiveness within the EU aquaculture sector. The EU imports 70% of all the aquatic food it consumes. In this regard, the EU aquaculture sector has a great potential and it is important that the European Commission and EU Member States provide the legal framework required to develop it further. EU aquaculture contributes to food supply and food security by providing sustainable and quality food products with a smaller environmental footprint than land—based, thus ensuring that EU aquaculture progresses in accordance with the green transition, while also bringing socio-economic opportunities to coastal regions and rural areas. I think it’s a worthwhile initiative and hopefully Member States, including my own, can avail of the opportunity.

4

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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Serious cross-border threats to health (A9-0247/2021 - Véronique Trillet-Lenoir)

Madam President, I am pleased to support this report from my colleague, Ms Trillet—Lenoir, for a regulation on serious cross-border threats to health. These new measures aim to strengthen public health in the EU when faced with serious challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic unfortunately revealed how the European Union severely lacked the tools to counter a health crisis, and consequently our national health systems faced extremely dark and challenging times. Public health systems across all Member States were overwhelmed and exhausted. The pandemic also showed us the importance of European solidarity and coordination. The report recommends strengthening operational coordination at European level and the promotion of solidarity in the European Union. I welcome the regulation and I support it.

4

Oct

2022

Speeches EN

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AccessibleEU Centre in support of accessibility policies in the EU internal market (debate)

A Uachtaráin, Commissioner, about 90 million persons in the EU have some form of disability; 50% of persons with disabilities are in employment compared to 75% without disabilities. Although major advances have been achieved in favour of people with disabilities, often these citizens are still faced with significant barriers to full participation in their communities. Efforts must continue if we are to achieve a more inclusive, fairer Europe, including access to employment and the rights of people with disabilities. Member States have been lagging behind for years when it comes to implementing EU legal texts on inclusivity. With the new EU Centre for Accessibility, we would hopefully have an effective tool in coherently implementing accessibility in the EU. I call on the Commission to guarantee adequate financial and human resources to ensure the effective operation of the centre. Let’s make the world a more inclusive place. It is time to raise the living standards of European citizens, especially those who are currently represented. And, finally, a shout out to the social farming initiative in my own constituency. The farmers involved are generously leading by example, by giving people with disabilities the chance to work on their farms. Initiatives like this should be encouraged and replicated all over the EU and in all aspects of human engagement.

14

Sep

2022

Speeches GA

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State of the Union (debate)

Thank you, Mr. President, and congratulations Mr. President, for the kind words you have given us. Thank you, Ursula, for staying for the entirety of the debate. You spoke a lot about energy, and rightly so. And to your credit, you’re going around the world trying to get LNG supplies for Europe. But I’m sorry to say that in my country we have an opportunity to build an LNG terminal free of charge for the government, which one army of government is blocking. We also have vast gas resources of our coast which are not being utilised, and yet we are largely dependent on one pipeline from the United Kingdom. And today the United Kingdom said if Russia cut off supplies of gas to Europe, then there will be gas rationing and electricity outages in the United Kingdom and Ireland. So I would ask you to ask countries like Ireland to use the resources and opportunities they have and not to be scrounging on the supplies that other Member States need, and also to remove the roadblocks to the deployment of renewables, especially planning and permission. And one final ask, maybe not to put the clocks back this winter to save energy.

13

Sep

2022

Speeches EN

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Deforestation Regulation (A9-0219/2022 - Christophe Hansen)

A Uachtaráin. I commend my colleague Christophe Hansen on the work he has done on this file. This proposal for a regulation to limit the availability of products linked to deforestation on the EU market is a step in the right direction in order to achieve the EU’s commitment to curb deforestation and forest degradation. This is a topic close to the heart of many of my constituents in Ireland South. They want to know where the products that they buy come from and to be sure that these products are not linked to the destruction of forests and their ecosystems. For this reason, I welcome the ambition to supply deforestation-free products in shops and businesses across Europe in the future. It is worth noting that I voted to support the inclusion of financial institutions’ activities with this regulation. Financial institutions must take responsibility for ensuring that finance they provide to companies does not contribute to the activities that pose a risk to forests and our ecosystems. I am very pleased to support this report.

13

Sep

2022

Speeches GA

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New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 – Sustainable Forest Management in Europe (A9-0225/2022 - Ulrike Müller)

Mr President, it is clear that climate change severely affects the forest ecosystem and that in doing so, forests themselves can fight climate change. Naturally, the trees can absorb carbon from the atmosphere and, as a result, the carbon emission in the atmosphere is reduced. For this, we need to preserve, improve and increase forests in the European Union so that we can achieve carbon neutrality. Forests also contribute to many ecosystem services such as water and clean air, to protect them from erosion. The main aims of the EU Forest Strategy are to achieve effective forests, forest conservation and forest restoration in the EU. This will allow the trees to absorb and store CO2 in the atmosphere. Therefore, of course, I voted in favour of the report.

13

Sep

2022

Speeches EN

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Interim report on the 2021 proposal for a revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (A9-0227/2022 - Jan Olbrycht, Margarida Marques)

Mr President, I welcome this report from my budget colleagues on the 2021 proposals for the revision of the multiannual financial framework. This report importantly ensures the MFF’s compatibility with the Parliament’s Fit for 55 package, particularly the alignment of the MFF with the Parliament’s position on the Social Climate Fund. The Social Climate Fund is essential to supporting and protecting vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users as the emissions—trading system is expanded. At a time of soaring inflation and energy costs, we need to be sure that climate policies are implemented in a way that protects vulnerable groups. I also echo my colleagues’ call for consideration of a broader revision of the MFF. We must consider the current budget allocations and whether they are appropriate for the Europe we are living in today. We need a legislative proposal for a comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible.

13

Sep

2022

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The new European Bauhaus (debate)

Mr President, this cross-disciplinary initiative provides a welcome opportunity to combine our climate and digital goals with the benefits of creative design and to foster rural and urban developments that improve citizens’ everyday lives. Particularly, I welcome the report’s acknowledgement that the New European Bauhaus should be linked to the renovation wave. Modernising buildings to ensure they are more sustainable and efficient is fundamental to reaching the EU’s climate and energy goals. For this reason, I support my colleagues’ calls for increased funding to be allocated to the New European Bauhaus. When managing the implementation of the initiative the Commission should ensure that all projects are consistent with the EU’s green and digital climate as they contribute to creating new jobs and business opportunities, and in local areas, and, importantly, that citizens’ perspectives are incorporated into the process. As the objective of New European Bauhaus is to create a positive living environment for European citizens, it is essential that citizens themselves have their say in how this programme is implemented. I look forward to seeing this contribution help the local development in Ireland and across Europe by creating public spaces for the sharing of knowledge, culture and sport.

7

Jul

2022

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Sustainable aviation fuels (ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative) (A9-0199/2022 - Søren Gade)

Mr President, I was happy to vote in favour of the REFuel EU Aviation Initiative Report. The aim of the report is to boost the supply and demand for sustainable aviation fuels in the EU, in line with the goal of reducing aviation’s environmental footprint, which is huge, to achieve the EU's climate targets. It is imperative that European planes use the greenest and most sustainable fuels to help the EU become climate neutral by 2050. And it is important that we invest much more in the development and deployment of sustainable fuels made in , in order to decrease costs. And that is one lesson I think we have learned from COVID and from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that we need to put more resources into producing things so we can have the label ‘made in Europe’ on them.

7

Jul

2022

Speeches EN

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Developing an EU Cycling Strategy (debate)

Mr President, one of the objectives of the European Green Deal is for the EU to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. In order to accomplish this, significant changes are required for the European transportation system. Innovation will help, but a key solution already exists: a large modal shift towards active mobility, particularly cycling. Considering its indisputable environmental benefits as a form of transportation, the EU must prioritise cycling in its climate strategy, dedicate resources to cycling policy and promote its advantages. It is time to implement a real bicycle policy, one that recognises the importance of cycling as a unique and fully-fledged means of transport. A green Europe must be a cycling Europe, and when we have that, we might get Katie Melua to sing about cycling in Europe as she has done for Beijing. Finally, I just want to say my name is Seán Kelly. I am often confused with the great Irish professional cyclist Sean Kelly, which pleases me greatly, especially when it helps me to get through Belgian security at speed.

7

Jul

2022

Speeches GA

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Better regulation: joining forces to make better laws (debate)

President, with EU regulation, we can create better standards and a legislative framework to achieve the EU’s aims. That said, we, as legislators, need to be mindful of the huge impact that EU law alone can have across all Member States. We have a duty to ensure that we do not over-regulate, and to avoid unnecessary administrative or regulatory burdens. Working for my Group on the AFCO opinion on ‘Better regulation’, I stressed the need to better support our 24 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU. I also strongly believe that better regulation is needed to achieve the goals set out in the Green Deal. But in particular, a red tape that hinders the progress of the green transition must be discarded.

6

Jul

2022

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Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2021 - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2020 (debate)

Madam President, as a rapporteur in the last mandate for InvestEU, I want to thank Mr Hoyer and the EIB and the European Commission for rolling out this very important instrument for the European Union. Now I am a rapporteur for the EPP for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the renovation of the EU’s building stock is a key Green Deal priority. However, at present, there is a funding gap of EUR 214 billion a year for green financing for residential buildings, which will require a greater input from bank loans. Currently, 72% of renovations are self-funded, while only 18% of consumers are taking loans to renovate their homes, because they are too expensive. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, under Article 15, expands the toolbox for Member States. It includes energy efficiency loans and mortgages for building renovations. So, a question, Mr Hoyer: does the European Investment Bank envisage the establishment of an EU-wide renovations guarantee fund, enabling credit institutions to reduce their risk exposure on green mortgage portfolios, and so improve access to renovation loans for vulnerable households? Finally, I would like to thank the EIB also for their assistance for Ukraine – quick and positive.

6

Jul

2022

Speeches EN

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The UK government’s unilateral introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and respect for international law (debate)

, Commissioner, colleagues, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill marks a new low in relations between the EU and the UK. We mustn’t forget that the UK was a valued member of the European Union for 40 years and played a very constructive part. But breaching international law is just not acceptable, as Vice-President Šefčovič said. Also, it defies logic – because the protocol is working. The majority of MLAs returned in the recent election are in favour of the protocol. The business people that I met in my capacity as rapporteur for the Trade Committee, the vast majority are in favour of the protocol and see the benefits of being in the single market of the European Union and the UK market. Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting a good friend of mine, former MEP now Under—Secretary Vicky Ford, and we had a robust discussion. I pointed out to her that if green and red lanes are a solution, come and negotiate, and we can see – because nobody has been more flexible than our good friend Vice-President Šefčovič. I appeal to Boris Johnson, the British Government, to give over this Fawlty Towers—like approach to politics, because if they don’t, there is a danger that Basil would be confused with Boris. Regardless of the outcome in the volatile situation in Number 10, there is only one solution – put this bill aside, come and negotiate and we can reach an agreement. That is what democrats always do.